Courses+Spring+2014

An introduction to the social, historical, and ethical influences on modern science and technology. Cases include development of the atomic bomb, mechanization of the workplace, Apollo space program, and others. Readings are drawn from history, fiction, and social sciences; films and documentary videos highlight questions about the application of scientific knowledge to human affairs. The class is designed to give students freedom to develop and express their own ideas. Will IT increase prosperity? For whom? What role should governments play in IT development? Do corporations have new responsibilities in the Information Era? What about IT professionals? This course explores the issues, the arguments, and working solutions.
 * __ Science, Technology, & Society __**__ – 4cr., ci, SUST(STSH/S1110) Breyman TF 2-3:50PM __
 * __ IT and Society – __ **__ 4cr., ci(IHSS1220) Fisk T/F 2:00-3:50PM __

In this course, students learn controversy analysis and participate in a series of oral debates about alternative energy, pollution and health, and food and water resources. We also develop proposals for sustainability projects.
 * __ Sustainability Debates __**__ – 4cr., ci, m, SUST (STSH/S1961) Costelloe-Kuehn TF 10-11:50AM __
 * __ Design, Culture and Society __ **__ – 4 cr., ci(STSS2210 Winner MR 10:00-11:50AM __ This course allows students to develop a critical understanding of the relationships between design, culture, and society. 'Design' is defined broadly, touching on product/industrial design, urban design, and so-called alternative design approaches such as ecological and feminist design. Restricted to DIS majors.

This course examines the emergence of environmental consciousness in the United States throughout the 20th century. Students in this course will study the original writings of some of the most important thinkers and activists in the history of environmentalism, examine the social contexts in which their ideas formed, and consider their relevance to contemporary sustainability issues. ** Prerequisites/Co-requisites ** : STSS1110 or IHSS196x (Environment & Politics) or IHSS196x (Politics of Global Environment) or IHSS197x (Nature/Society) or permission of instructor.
 * __ A Century of Environmental Thought - __**__ 4cr. (STSH/S2310) Costello-Kuehn TF 2:00-3:50PM __

This course details the scientific and social history of genetics, from Darwin and Mendel to the Human Genome Project. Special focus areas include: plant and animal breeding in the early twentieth century; eugenics movements in the U.S. and elsewhere; bacterial and fruit fly genetics; the development of molecular biology; the invention of recombinant-DNA technologies; the emergence of the biotechnology industry; the sociobiology controversies; genetics and evolutionary theory; contemporary genomics.
 * __ Century of the Gene __**__ – 4cr. (STSH2410) M. Fortun MR 2:00-3:50PM __

Environment & Law is an introductory environmental law and policy course, with emphasis on the practical use and application of legal concepts. The course will review the basics of the US legal system, identify the source of environmental law and regulation and analyze different environmental policies. The class will evaluate current environmental events and understand their implications. Students will be encouraged participate in discussions and debate more than one side of a legal/policy issue.
 * __ Environment & Law __**__ - 4cr. (STSS296, ____ STSH2960 ____ ) Howard MR 10:00-11:50AM __

This course explores historical perspectives on bioethics through concrete cases and practical problems faced in the design and execution of some of the highest profile biomedical research and most consequential clinical decisions of the twentieth century. Topics include vaccine development; human radiation experiments; new genetic and reproductive technologies; right-to-die, death-with-dignity, and physician-assisted suicide; human experimentation, including prisoners, the sick, and the disabled; neuroethics; animal research; and emergent topics such as stem cell research, prenatal diagnostics, and genetic testing. This is a communication intensive course.Prerequisites/Co-requisites: Prerequisites: STSH/STSS 1110.
 * __ Bioethics - __**__ 4cr. (STSH4250) Campbell MR 10:00-11:50AM __

Introduces students to the basic analytical approaches to environmental issues and natural resource use. Emphasis is on economic valuation and public policy. Covers traditional approaches based on assumptions of economic rationality and market efficiency as well as current approaches from the fields of environmental science behavioral economics. Emphasis is on active student participation and examination of current environmental controversies. Prerequisite: ECON 2010 or equivalent or permission of instructor.
 * __ Environmental and Resource Economics __**__ – 4cr., SUST (ECON4260) Gowdy T/F 2:00 - 3:50PM __

While concepts such as quality of life, environment, nature, global ecology, and the like figure heavily in contemporary discussions, they are seldom integrated into an environmental philosophy. The course tries to achieve this integration by understanding some of the religious, mythic-poetic, and scientific dimensions of the human-nature matrix.
 * __ Environmental Philosophy __**__ – 4cr., SUST(STSH4340) Thero T F 2:00-3:50PM __

Self-organization has become an increasingly important phenomenon in both the natural sciences and engineering. Self-assembly of molecular structure is critical to nanotechnology; self-regulating ecosystems are modeled in biology, and so on. But recursive loops in which things govern themselves are also foundational to society: democracy is the people governing the people; social networks on the internet arise by self-assembly, and many indigenous societies use self-organization to create sustainable ways of life. This course will introduce students to models of self-organization in natural science and engineering, and examine their potential application to society, politics, and ethics. This course offers an insight into the public policy process from the vantage point of a part-time internship in the public or private sector as well as an opportunity to explore a career option before actually embarking upon it. The following is a partial list of the large number of possible internships: airport planning, architecture, banking, biological research, clinical psychology, computer science, consumer protection, corporate management, engineering, environmental planning, geology, local government, mate- rials and mechanical engineering, noise pollution abatement, personnel management review, premedical, public finance and taxation, public health management, public relations, social work, state legislature, stock market, transportation planning, and urban planning. Prerequisites: STSH-1110/STSS- 1110 or permission of instructor.
 * __ Self-Organization in Science & Society __**__ – 4cr., SUST (STSH4580) Eglash MR 12-1:50PM __
 * __ Public Service Internship - __**__ 4cr. (STSH/S4800) Pierce Tuesday 4:00-6:50 PM __

This class explores technological contexts for leadership, styles and skills of leadership, and different leadership roles. Assignments develop a variety of communication skills. A team-based project gives students the opportunity to demonstrate leadership initiative by proposing solutions to social problems that combine technical expertise with social analysis and communication skills.
 * __ Professional Development ll __**__ – 2 cr.(STSS4840) Fisk R 10:00-11:50AM __

This course is about the relationships between the economy and the material world. It identifies the most critical challenges to sustainable economic development on local to global scales and ways of addressing them. The course examines options surrounding material and energy flows, technological alternatives, livelihoods, consumption behavior, public policy, civil society institutions and social movements as avenues for meeting the major challenges to sustainability.
 * __ Economy,Technology and Sustainability __**__ – 4cr. (STSS496X & ECON496X) Duchin M 4:00-7:00 PM __

This course serves as an advanced, culminating design experience for students in the Design, Innovation, and Society major. Students are required to enter the course with a product (or service, system, or environment) concept that is already in an advanced state of conceptualization. This course entails advanced product development and commercialization work around that concept, including prototyping, user testing, determining manufacturing/production specifications, and commercialization/dissemination strategies. By permission of instructor only
 * __ PDI Capstone - __**__ 4cr. (STSS496X-01) Nieusma MR 10:00-11:50AM __

This course is the sixth in the PDI studio series. It introduces students to entrepreneurship, business planning, and project management, all in service of advancing your skills as product innovators. As with all PDI studios, assignments require students to synthesize social, technical, cultural, and formal concerns in the design of innovative objects, environments, and communications media. As a studio course, class time is used for self-guided design investigations as well as structured group activities. Students are expected to participate in individual and group research, including hands-on exploration of design ideas; discussions with potential users, researchers, and practitioners; project reviews; and formal presentations. The course requires weekly reading from the two course texts and occasional articles to be available online. All readings must be completed before the course period for which they are assigned. Please bring your readings and your reading notes with you to class.
 * __ Product Design & Innovation Design Studio 6 - __**__ 4cr. (ENGR/STSH4961-01) Nieusma MR 2:00-4:50PM __


 * __ China and the United States – __**__ 4cr., SUST(STSS4964) Winner MR 12:00-1:50PM __ "China and the United States are economic and political giants that have intricate, sometimes troubled relationships as well as deeply interwoven futures. The course explores a variety of historical, philosophical, social, and political issues that shed light upon prospects for cooperation and conflict between the two superpowers. Required are substantial amounts of reading, writing and discussion."


 * __ Sustainability Education __**__ – 4cr., m, SUST (STSS4965) Costelloe-Kuehn TR 4:00-5:50PM __ What knowledge and thought styles are needed to advance environmental sustainability? How can educators cultivate the kind of knowledge and thinking needed? How can sustainability educators reach kids of different ages, and different kinds of communities? This course will examine these questions through review of varied ways environmental education can be conceptualized and delivered. The course will also provide opportunities for creative development of educational materials and outreach. Prerequisite, one STS or IHSS course with SUST focus.

Environmental sustainability is difficult to achieve for a wide array of reasons, many of which are not obviously “environmental problems”: Electoral cycles and campaign financing. Corporate trade secrets and bottom-line thinking. Slick and compelling advertising. Dumbed-down news coverage. The complexity of environmental science. Debates among environmentalists about the best pathways to sustainability. In this course, we will map the matrix of problems like these that make sustainability difficult. We will also map indicators that environmental sustainability should be a priority, and possible sustainability solutions. Throughout, we will both analyze and try to produce effective environmental communication.
 * __ Sustainability Problems -- 4cr m SUST ( __**__ STSS 4270) Costelloe-Kuehn TF 2:00-3:50, __

This class is designed to support the development of STS senior thesis projects. Independent research supervised by a faculty member, culminating in a written thesis. A creative endeavor such as a videotape or computer program may be substituted with departmental permission. This is a communication-intensive course. Restricted to STS0, SUST AND DIS majors with senior standing.
 * __ Senior Project __**__ – 4cr., ci, SUST (STSH/S4980) Fisk W 4-5:50PM __

High-Tech weaponry, androids, workplace automation, changing climate, potential nuclear revival, synthetic biology, nanotechnology, radical life extension, Shale gas/LNG worldwide, neo-colonization of Africa, global consumer culture. Also the enabling social pathologies: media, income/wealth misdistribution, political inequality and non-representation, business dominance, citizens’ impaired inquiry and weak political skills. Each student will develop a stronger conceptual framework while researching/ writing literature reviews or early drafts of articles that become part of one’s qualifying exams.
 * __ Epochal Technologies __**__ - 3 cr. ( STSS696X-01) Woodhouse M 10:00-12:50 PM __

This course explores diverse ways of conceptualizing, designing, and delivering education, and the special challenges and potential of sustainability education. We will design and deliver our own educational materials to k-12 students, experimenting with interdisciplinarity, aiming to cultivate and entwine scientific, health, environmental, media, and political literacies.
 * __ STS EcoEd __**__ - 3cr. (STS696X-01) K. Fortun TR 4:00-5:50PM __

This course surveys social movement theory and research, with an emphasis on recent mobilizations around the world about the environment, toxics, fracking, biotechnology, and economic inequality, including Occupy Wall Street. We focus on several themes, including the politics of expertise and the roles that scientists and scientific knowledge play in movements for social change. Some of the questions addressed in the course include: How do science and technology facilitate activism across national borders? How do social movements mobilize resistance to new technologies? How do scientist-activists and transnational epistemic communities negotiate their sometimes contradictory positions in society? Do social movements transform the scientific enterprise, and if so, in what ways?
 * __ Science, Technology & Social Movements - __**__ 3cr. (STSS696X-01) Breyman T 10:00-12:50PM __

The course explores the epistemological, institutional and social dimensions of science, drawing from sociocultural studies of its internal worlds -- laboratories, fieldwork, simulations, human and nonhuman performances, etc. -- as well as science in its interaction with “external” networks such as politics, economics, education, and other social processes.
 * __ Science Studies - __**__ 3cr. (STSS696X-01) Eglash F 10:00-12:50 PM __